Pulse modulating system



July 26, 1949. R. H. NoYEs PULSE MODULATING SYSTEM IFiled Oct. 13, 1945 IN VEN TOR. ROBERT H. NOYES f vinili? Patented July 256, 194g UNITED STATES; rA'rENT OFFICE PULSE MODULATING `SYSTFM f Robert H. oyes, Fair Haven,

ppliCatt-n* Ofbel" E3, 1943, SBIa'PNO: 506,033

"(Glated' urileif *15H6* act of Marelli 3, 1883; s

3 Claims'.

'amended April 30,- 1928;' 370 0'. Gr'. '757)s The invention describednerein may be manu: facturen and' used by or forthe` Government for governmental purposes, without theA payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention' relates tov pulse modulated vradio' transmitters, particularly' suchas' are' `used in pulse-echo object ydetection systems', wherein "a sharp pulse ofradio e'nergy'lis'transmrtterl tovv'ard an object and* the reflection therefrom `-dizite'ctedbyA a' receiver; Measurement o'f the time interval between the transmitted pulse and theV received reflected pulse provides an `indication of theA disf-v tance" from the object. Similar techniques are' usedL for' altitude determinationa It is important insuchsystems that-the-trans rnittedy pulse be very sharp in order thatno pos-k sible confusion occur betweenv the tra'rlsmittedy 1; ul"se'-andI a reflected pulse' from an object a short distance away; Very sha-rp pulses' alsoLpern-iitluse' of large peak powers of high frequency-energy andE at the same time keepthe' averagepower'ata relatively low level.

Itis a-n object of tl'iis invention to devisel an; im@ proved system for lgenerating sharp pulses or radio frequency energy. A further -obi'ee'tfof thisl invention is to'providea novelvandusiinple'clrlsuitfor changing a` sine wav-e inte p'eiiiodicpulsesof high.. voltagei Prior to thisinventionradio pulse transmissioni was `accomplished by using av transmittingI oscillator, the. tubesV of which have their.' Agrids none' mally biased' to plate curren-tcutotl. 'Ix'hisfl-cutoff basiwasremovedlby means oil positive/pulses impressed unv saidA gridsi from a: kpulse .generator- Prior designs ot such'. pulse generators. required: complicated circuits for generatingipulses et the required highvoltag-eaand short duration.

In accordance with my invention, use is made of a relatively simple pulse generator circuit incorporating a gas tube of the arc-discharge type, one example of which is generally -known by the trade name Thyratron This tube' is made to intermittently charge andV discharge, preferably under the control of a stable keying oscillator, a

pulse forming network. Because ofY the relatively small amounts ofv energy required to controlipow erful discharges 'in such" tubes, the necessary power and voltage, required' for modulating a pulse-echo transmitter, can be developedwit a minimum of circuit complications.

For a better understanding o'f the invention', together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the single ngure in the accompanying drawing, which -showsa--schematidicrcuit diagram of invention, and its scope ywin be pointed outra the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, a sine wave k'eyings'- cillator l", of relatively low frecuencygenerally in the audio region', is" connected to a pulse generator 2' of' tne' are-discharge tube type, which?, at every" cycle oi sineewave voltage applied tiiereto, gene' crates a'sharp' pulse of potential; the v-duration"or said' pulse being relatively aminute'- fraction of the' period' of said' sine wave: 'Said pulse is an:

a directional' antenna, noti-snown; q

'Thesme wave-output of' keying-oscillator fis applied; through" a low inipedanceblocking corr-r illnemodulator circuit '-con-iprises` atubelathe gri@ .31|- and-cathode 32' or which are.connected across resistor 2. The anode-3321s co'nfneet'edi'cex the :positive .pole 24 .o'f the platesupply source through a` 153000 to 200ml-clim-- lresistance .343, andcaftlod'e 32L-sdirectly connected tothe-negate' tiv/enelesSd cftsa'id sourceleaner- .li'ne nl, plate tuning lecher aine es; and plate power source-*- 4W, rconnected'-retire'enthe elcctfricalcenter' ofY trie'- iilatea -tromnoiie' eef and'- gr'ound; rf desirable; tuning'meansnot shown; may also be insertedlbetween triecatl'i'odes'ortne os'cilflatortubes'and ground. "The electrical" 'cen'- ter` 'of' tliefgriii line Wis connected to' the jiinlc': tion of plate 33 and resistoi'lsdthat the voltagez drop across resistor 34 biases the gridsofl oscillater tu-loes; #del anal :lili negatively witnrespe'ctto ce` coupled; to#1 notarial :ci-rooie such' i as1 antenna--noesnewn Y 4|, so that the latter dc not oscillate. Y While gas tube 22 is not conducting, condenser 26 is charged, through resistors 25 and 2'1,y froml the B-voitage source across terminals 24 andu 35. On each positive swing of the ouputof keyt ing oscillator l, the negative bias on the grid 2| ofV gas tube 22 is sufficiently reduced to suddenly render it conducting. Preferably, said negative bias should be oi such value that the gas tube becomes conducting substantiallyV at the -peak o of the positive portion of" the cycle from keyer I.V

As a result, condenser 26 lsuddenly, discharges through the anode-cathode path of tube 22 and resistor 21.

Illhe duration of said discharge depends upon the time constant of the R-C network 26 and 21 (the resistance ofv the gas tube while conducting being negligible). By properly proportioning said R-C network this discharge can be made very rapidrso that the duration of the resultant pulse across resistor 2l is a relatively minute fraction of the intervals between pulses. Y The discharge oi condenser 26 lowers the plate potential of tube 22 below the minimum required to maintain the tube conducting. The grid of tube 22 thus regains control before condenser 26 can recharge suiciently through resistor 25, due to the relatively long time constant of this circuit. The tube is therefore kept non-conducting until condenser 26 is fully recharged. On the next positive swing of `the voltage from keyer I, the gas tube is again rendered conducting and the abovedescribed cycle of operation is repeated. Thus sharp spaced pulses of high peak voltage are developed across resistor 2l at a rate by the keying frequency. t

The pulses appearing across resistor 2 intermittently bias the Vgrid or` modulator tube 30 to cutoi and cause intermittent decreasesV in the voltage drop across resistor 34. Asa result, theY cutoff bias on oscillator tube 4l is intermittently removed and the oscillator is rendered operative for the duration of each pulse. ating periods, the oscillator generates short trains of radio waves which are then radiated toward an objectto be located.

f Although specic values have been assigned to some of the components, it is to be understoodv that this has been done for purposes of example only.

peak voltages developed, tube characteristics, etc. r While there has been described one embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled Y l 1. A system for transmitting intermittent trains of higljifrequency waves comprising a radio frequency generator of sustained oscillations having.

at least one electron tube, a blocking potential on the grid of said tube, whereby said generator determined Y During the oper- Y 'Ihese values depend on well known design factors, e. g. pulse width, pulse repetition rate,v

`frequency meansconnected to the grid circuit of Y,

4 Y is normally inoperative, a pulse prising a normally non-conductive grid-controlled gas tube of the arc-discharge type, a condenserresistor network in circuit with the space current path of said gas tube, audio frequency means connected to the grid circuit ,of said gas tube for intermittently rendering said gas tube conductive and rapidly charge and discharge said condenser,

and means responsive to said *discharge to decrease said blocking potential sumciently to render 'said electron tube-operative. Y 2.. A system for transmitting intermittent trains of high frequency waves comprising a radio frequency generator of sustainedroscillations having at least one electron tube, means for maintaining said tube inoperative comprising a normally conducting modulator tube and a resistor in the plate circuit thereof, the voltage developed across said resistor being applied asa blocking potential on the grid oi said transmitter tube, means, including *a pulse generator, to intermittently reduce the voltage across said resistor sufficiently to renderV said oscillator intermittently operative, said pulse generator comprising a normally nonconductive :grid-controlled gas tube of the arcdischarge type, a pulse-forming network including ka. condenser-resistor network in circuit with the space current path of' said'gas tube, audio said gas tube Vfor intermittently rendering said gas tube conductive to rapidly charge and discharge said condenser, and means to impress the output of said network upon the control grid of said -modulator tube, the time lconstant. of said network being a minor fraction of they period of said audio frequency means.

3. A pulse generator system comprising a normally blocked gas tube of the arc-discharge type havingyat least two electrodes, a condenser and tworesistors, each resistorhaving one terminal respectively connected on opposite sides of saidY condenser, the resistance of one of said resistors being a minor fraction of that of the other, the other terminal of the smaller resistor being connectedY to one electrode of said tube and one pole of a source of potential, the other terminal of the larger resistor being connected to the other pole of said source of potential, the other electrode of said tube being connected to the junction of said larger resistor and condenser, and an outputcircuit connected across said smaller resistor, and

periodic means for unblocking said tube, the time constant of the circuit including said tube, said condenser, and said resistor; being a minor fractoY tion of the period of said periodic means.

Y ROBERT H. .NOYESL REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe` le of vthis patent:

'UNITED STATES PATENTS generator coni- 

